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The Cactus Album-3rd Bass

Kafka said: "The Cactus Album 1. Stymie's Theme (skit) 2. Sons of 3rd Bass 3. Russel Rush (skit) 4. The Gas Face 5. Monte Hall 6. Oval Office 7. Hoods (skit) 8. Soul in the Hole 9. Triple Stage Darkness 10. MC Disagree (skit) 11. Wordz of Wizdom 12. Product of the Environment 13. Desert Boots (skit) 14. The Cactus 15. Jim Backus (skit) 16. Flippin' Off the Wall like Lucy Ball (skit) 17. Brooklyn Queens 18. Steppin' to the AM 19. Episode Three (skit) 20. Who's on Third? 21. Wordz of Wizdom (Remix) Back in the 80's, the only White rappers with any amount of presence or exposure were the Beastie Boys, who were not exactly commanding too much credibility from many Rap fans. Many people believed that they were not true to the essence of the culture and dismissed them as a passing fad, despite their great amount of sold units. By the end of the decade, White rappers were still not a driving force in the world of Hip-Hop, but a new group would soon come on the scene. Around 1987, 3rd Bass, a collective made of White MC's MC Serch and Prime Minister Pete Nice and their Black DJ, Daddy Rich, released the single, "Wordz of Wizdom" which received some reaction from the New York circuits. However, they did not gain much fame until the following year, when their next single, "The Gas Face", became something of a hit. By 1989, the Bass released their first album, "The Cactus Album" (The Cactus Cee/D in its Compact Disc release ) on Def Jam Records. The album starts out with "Stymie's Theme", a short skit involving a sample from the "Our Gang" series. Things switch gears by the next track, "Sons of 3rd Bass", which is introduced by a sample from a ventriloquists's instructional record. "Here's my advice to all amateurs planning to give a performance." "Sons" serves as a straight-up display of lyrical ability, as well as a rather vicious dis to the Beastie Boys, who had left the Def Jam label by that time. "Sold, out with high voices distorted/ If a Beast was to play fetus, I'd have him aborted" The next track is "Russell Rush", another skit, this time, a conversation with a seemingly intoxicated Russell Simmons. Track number four, "The Gas Face" is a song about people and things that deserve a sign of disdain (a "Gas Face"), such as shady record execs, racists, wack MC's, etc. Fans of the now-infamous MF DOOM (going by the moniker, Zev Love X, at this time) will be pleased to hear him lace the song's final verse The group's crusade against pop rappers started on this track with a rather blunt reference to a certain platinum-selling artist. "Yo, Hammer, shut the fuck up! Gas Face!" With this, we move onto "Monte Hall", a smooth song about going to clubs, referred to as the "dancehalls". It's not a song that everyone would like, but I dig it. "Oval Office" is a track that takes some thinking about to soak in its full meaning. After some listens, you'll start to realize that it isn't actually about "playing it like a diplomat". "What's the Oval Office? A permanent residence/ Meeting of the mind as well as the pelvis/ Aiyyo, Bush we Audi like Elvis/" "Hoods" is another skit, sounding like a sample from a radio crime serial. This segues into "Soul in the Hole" a rather well lyrically-executed (and somewhat abstract) song about playing basketball. "Aiyyo, man, why you freezing me out?" "'Cause you ain't got no handle. Got your socks up to your knees like Michael Raines." "Triple Stage Darkness" is a very lyrically-driven track in the spirit of "Sons". Although, I couldn't really figure it out due to its abstract nature, the song seems to be out elevation of the mind...probably. "MC Disagree" is yet another skit, while the following track is the group's first single, "Wordz of Wizdom". Standard bragging and boasting abound. "Eliminate you like Gotti, I chill in Bed-Stuy, drive a Mazzerati With the body of a freak on my side (How ya livin'?) By and large with the Wordz of Wizdom" "Product of the Environment" follows, a track detailing the coming-up of the crew, with some social critique thrown in for good measure. The song would later have a superior remix by Pete Rock after the release of the album. "He's tired and worn, and works a 9 to 5 Clocking 30 G's a year trying to survive But I know some kids, who, in a day or so Could make that money from selling the llelo" The Jews-in-the-desert skit, "Desert Boots", serves as an introduction to "The Cactus", a track about swaying the ladies with your..."cactus". If you got kicks from the sexual undertones of "Oval Office", you're bound to laugh at this one. "Might be a little tasty... A 300-pound White girl!! No one to see this... Boom! I dropped my fluid like a chemist" "Jim Backus" (which I'm not sure why is on the album), is followed by "Flippin' Off The Wall Like Lucy Ball", a skit featuring 2 minutes plus of MC Serch impersonating Louis Armstrong. "They said: Kevin! You're grow up to go to the city And work with a lot of White people who think they're Black!" After this, "Brooklyn Queens", an ode to the women around the place "otherwise known as Crooklyn", and "Steppin' to the AM", another brag-and-boast fest, follow. "Projecting my voice with this mic that I'm cuffin' You ain't my nucka, sucka, I'm snuffin'!" The album closes soon closes out at 66 minutes and 5 seconds with the skit, "Episode Three", the DJ cut, "Who's on Third?", and a CD-only remix of "Wordz of Wizdom". All in all, "The Cactus Album" is a rather conventional product of the 80's Hip-Hop world. Rapping about rapping, occasional bugged humor, and basically saying crazy shit. But is it good? That depends. Some would say that Pete Nice and Serch were using their ethnicity as a gimmick, while others would respond that their rhyming skills and production were up to task, if not above average. However, in my honest opinion, this album is great stuff, well worth a purchase or download. Just avoid those skits and enjoy. Score- 9/10 -Kanibal"

Kafka said: "Thanks, man."

UGLM said: "[b]very nice...im diggin your detail, im prolly gonna d/l this album tomorrow, good shit[/b]"